Coal-sampling machine.



L. L. BEEKEN.

COAL SAMPLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .ILILYGI I9I5.

1.,186,6%6. Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

I FIEJu A9 I INVENTOH.

' M %HWW wf igg mo Us.

L. L. BEEKEN.

COAL SAMPLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY6. 1915.

Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z- flu ATTORNEYS.

L. L. BEEKEN. COAL SAMPLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. l9|5.

mama.

Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR- flb hz/ 4m 6%? ATTORNEY;

L. L. BEEKEN.

COAL SAMPLING MACHINE.

, APPLICATION FILED JULYS, m5.

Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI 4- FHGQ.

INVENTOR- wnussse;

ATTOHHEV S LEWIS LAZELL BEEKEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-SAMPLING MACHINE.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 11916..

Application filed July 6, 1915. Serial No. 38,159.

% vania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discoveredcertain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Sampling Machines, of whichimprovements the following is a specification.

it My invention relates to sampling apparaltd til

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provided for abstracting tus and is embodied in machinery whichabstracts from a large body of coal in course of normal handling and atproperly related successive points in that body, sample quantities ofcoal for testing, and which prepares the samples so abstracted for thetesting operations.

The coal-sampling machine which embodies my invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 are views in vertical section and Fig. 3 a top plan viewof a portion of the machine. The plane of section of Fig. 1 is indicatedby the line II, Fig. 2; and the plane of section of Fig. 2 is indicatedby the line IIII, Fig. 1. Certain parts are, for the sake of clearness,omitted from the machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These Figs. 13 showparticularly the means the sample quantities from an advancing ody ofcoal. Fig. 4 is a view on the same plane as Fig. 1 showing in sideelevation the apparatus for crushing, grading and subdividing the samplecoal abstracted by the instrumentahties shown in the other figures, inpreparation for testing. Certain parts shown in Fig. 1 are omitted fromthe showing of Fig. 4.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3, 1 indicates a belt conveyer, on which itmay be understood coal is conveyed (as from a coal barge,

for example), and 2 is the intake of a bin. which receives coal conveyedon and del1vered from the adjacent end of conveyer 1. In Fig. 1 thenormal path of the advancing body of coal is indicated by the dottedlines a and b. Properly speaking, the belt con- "eyer itself is shown inFig. 1 only; the part which in Figs. 2 and 3 is marked 1 is the drum onwhich the conveyer travels. A deflector 3 is mounted to traverse thisadvancing stream of coal from side to side at. the point where it is intransit from conveyer 1 to intake 2 and in such traverse to deflect anddirect into a suitably placed chute 4 a portion of the advancing body ofcoal. As is particularly indicated in Fig. 2, the deflector 3 Willordinarily be relatively narrow, as compared in width with the conveyer1 and the normal stream of coal which conveyer 1 will deliver; anditwill be understood that the width of deflector 3 (its speed beingassumed to be determined) will determine the size of each abstractedsample, while the frequency and regularity of the reciprocation .ofdeflector 3 from side'to side across the stream of coal will determinethe number and regularity of the samplings taken from a given quantityof coal advancing on conveyer 1. The deflector 3 is borne on a carriage5' (see Fig. 2), and this carriage is mounted to travel from side toside of the machine and in its travel to carry the deflector to and froacross the stream of coal, to effect the ends indicated above.

On either side of the machine and beyond the range of reciprocation ofcarriage 5 are two vertically extending guideways, here shown asrectangular boxes 6; directly above these two guideways are drums 7,mounted, on a shaft 8; and from these drums 7 weights 9 are suspended,by chains or cables 10, in guideways 6. Clutch members 11 are providedwhich in their alternate positions connect drums 7 severally to rotatein unison with shaft 8 or leave the drums free to rotate upon shaft 8 asan axle.

From carriage 5 extend chains or cables 12 to either side of the machineand these chains or cables 12 extend over sheaves 13 which are arrangedabove the guideways 6. On the free ends of these chains or cables 12 andwithin guideways 6 are hung blocks which conveniently take the form ofballs 14., and these balls are of sufficient weight to keep the chainsor cables 12 taut in all positions of carriage 5. It will be observed(Figs. 1 and 2) that the weights 9 and the' balls 14. are hung inguideways 6, not in precise alinement, but so nearly side by side as toengage one another in their relative movements in the manner and for theends presently to be described.

The range of movement of carriage 5 is limited by stationary bumpers 15.The range of movement of the balls 14 within guideways 6 is accordinglylimited. The weights 9, hung by chains or cables from drum 7 have agreater range of movement; they may be raised higher and may descend'drum bf conveyer 1.

lower than balls 14, whose paths of movement are limited in the mannerjust explained. l

Shaft 8 is driven from any suitable source spur gears 23 and 24 areshown and they "are arranged to be thrown alternately into service bymeans of the clutch mechanism 25. These two sets of gears afi'ordlngspeed transmission at different rates are provided that through theinstrumentalities yet to be'more fully described the frequency of thetravel ofthe deflector across the stream of coal may bealtered. ()fthetwo gear connections shown in the drawings one affords a frequency ofreciprocation of the deflector four times greater than the other; in onecase the traverse of the deflector occurs once in four minutes, in theother once every minute. It will be understood that it .is merely amatter of proportion and multiplication of the instrumentalitiesdescribed to obtain any desired frequency and any number of alternaterates.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the clutch member 11on the right is in engagement with the adjacent drum 7, so that drum 7is securedto turn in unison with shaft 8, and it will be understood thatthe turning of shaft 8 has wound up chain-10 (on the right) and hasraised weight 9 to the position in which it is shown, near the upper endof guideway 6, and that further turning of shaft 8 will (the clutchremaining closed) raise weight 9 still higher. It will also be observedof the corresponding instrumentalities at the left in Fig. 2, that theclutch 11 is open, and that weight 9 rests at the lower end of guideway6; and it will be understood that, drum 7 being left free to turn onshaft 8 as its axle, the weight 9 has descended by gravity to itspermissible limit. Bumpers 26 may be provided to afford such a limit tothe descent of weights 9.

The parts being in the positions indicated, further turning of shaft 8will raise still higher the weight 9 on the right, and in its furtherrise weight 9 will engage and lift a finger 27 which extends from and isrigidly borne by a rod 28 mounted to slide vertically in suitableguides. The lifting of finger 27 will carry rod 28 upward and will swinga bell-crank-lever 29, to one arm of which rod 28 is pivotallyconnected. The swinging of lever 29 willshift from left to right link30, which extends across the machine and is pivoted at its opposite endsto the other arm of each of the two correspondingly arranged bell-cranklevers 29, one of which has already been named.' This link 30 is at itsmiddle point pivoted to-the reciprocable weighted lever 31, and lever 31as it swings engages (through slot 32, pin 33, and link 34) a transverseand longitudinally movable rod 35. This rod carries, rigidly mountedupon it, two forks 36 which engage the two clutches 11. With rod 35 inthe position shown, the clutch at the right is in engagement with itsdrum 7 while the clutch on the left is open. The shifting of rod 28 bythe rising of weight 9 (on theright) to the predetermined -limit of itsmovement will, through the instrumentalities described, shift rod 35from right to left, opening the clutch on the right and closing theclutch ,on the left.

Immediately on such shifting of rod 35 weight 9 on the ri ht, no longersustained in its elevated position, falls (the drum on which its chainis wound being now free to turn on shaft 8). In its descent weight 9engages ball 14 which hangs beneath it, and

(the passageway being so constructed as to prevent ball 14 from escape)the weight in its descent carries ball 14 with it and in so doing dragscarriage 5 (which bears the deflector) across the machine from left toright. At the same time the ball 14 on the i left is drawn upward fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 to a position corresponding to thatpreviously occupied by the ball on the right. Such reciprocating ofcarriage 5, effected by the descent of weight. 9 means, of course, thatdeflector 3 has made one traverse across the advancing stream of coal.

' When in the descent of weight 9, with ball 14 carried before it, thecarriage 5 has been shifted through the range of its intended travel,the ball 14 has come opposite a break 37 in the continuity of theguideway 6. Thereupon, by virtue of the fact that ball and weight are sohung and so shaped that the ball is subject to a stress tending to driveit sidewise, the ball escapes through the break 37 the weight 9 passesthe ball, falling until it is stopped by bumper 26, or 0therwise. Whenthe descending weight 9 has thus passed ball 14 by, the ball swings backfrom its escape in break 37 and hangs above the weight 9. These partsthen occupy the relative positions in which the corresponding parts onthe left are shown in Fig. 2. Such being the operation of the parts onthe right (Fig. 2) consequent upon the shifting of the clutches 11, itremains to observe what occurs on the left. It has already been said,

however, that the ball 14 on the left is car- 7 on the left begins toturn in unison with shaft 8, and as it turns it winds up the chain 10 bywhich weight 9 is suspended. Thus weight 9 is raised more slowly,following the ascent of ball 14 in the guideway 6. As the weight 9approaches the upper end of guldeway 6 it engages first the ball 14. Theengaging surfaces are so disposed that the ball 14 is swung out of theway through a break 38 in the guideway, allowing weight 9 to rise abovethe ball and when the weight has thus risen above it, ball 14 swingsback to the position shown on the right-hand side (Fig. 2) where, whenthe weight 1n due course falls, it will carry ball 14 with it in itsdescent, in the manner and with the consequences already described. Thefurther rise of weight 9 brings it into engagement with and causes it toshift finger 27 (which corresponds in form and function to the finger onthe right-hand side, already described), and with that the movementsalready described are repeated by the corresponding parts.

The deflector 3, in each traverse across the current of coal advancinfrom conveyer 1 to bin 2, deflects a quantity of coal into the mouth'ofchute 4. Descending in the chute 4, the deflected body of coal passesthrough an opening 39. In this opening, if desired, a grid may beplaced, to separate and carry away pieces of wood or other large bodieswhich may accidentally be found in the coal. Passing through opening 39the coal falls into the crusher 40 (which, as shown in Fig. 4, may bedriven from the shaft 16 of the conveyer).

From crusher 40 the crushed sample coal falls to a hopper 41, whence itpasses through a chute 42 to the separating apparatus.

The separating apparatus consists of a collector 43, a distributer 44,and two dividers 45. The collector 43 is a hopper or funnel, and servesto center the stream of coal which pours from chute 42. The disvtributer44 is also a funnel shaped member;

but within it is arranged a conical deflector 46 whose lower edge isspaced at an interval from the inner surface of the funnel 44. Throughthat space the coal passes in a more uniform stream. The dividers 45 arehollow vessels of double conical form with radially arranged intakeopenings 47 in their upper cones and outlet openin s at the a pices oftheir lower cones. .The ra ially arranged openings 47 in the upper coneof either or both of the two dividers 45 may be rendered adjustable inwidth, by providing two upper cones, nested one within the other androtatable one upon the other, andby properly shaping the openings insuch cooperat- -ing parts. In Fig. 4 such a second cone is indicated at48 in the upper one of the two dividers shown. The upper dividerdischarges upon the lower, the lower discharges to a pipe 49 which leadsto the laboratory or place from which coal may be taken for sampling.

It is manifest that as many dividers 45 may be employed as desired. Byadjusting thesize of the intake openings of the divider, the user ofthis apparatus may obtain for purposes of test such amount of coal as hecan most conveniently handle, and at the same time have a good averageof all the coal collected in the manner and by the machinery abovedescribed.

The operation has been explained incidentally in the foregoingdescription of the apparatus, and may now be briefly summarized. Theconveyer 1 is driven by the i-otation of shaft 16, and as it advances itdelivers a stream of coal to the bin 2, in a stream indicated by thedotted lines a and b, Fig. 1. As shaft 16 rotates, shaft 8 is rotated.The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, continued rotation'ofshaft 8 causes the weight 9 hanging at the righthand side of the machineto rise still 'further, and in so doing to engage stop 27 on rod 28 andshift rod 28 and, through the intermediate instrumentalities, to shiftrod 35, open clutch 11 on the right and close clutch 11 on the left.Immediately on the opening of the clutch on the right the weight 9 onthe right falls, until its further descent is stopped by bumper 26.(Manifestly bumper 26 is a mere convenience; the descent of weight 9might be limited and checked merely by the suspending cable or chain 10,secured to its drum 7.)

Immediately on the closing of clutch 11 on the left, the weight 9 on theleft begins to rise, as its suspending chain or cable 10 is wound up.The weight 9 on the right in its descent engages block or ball 14 (thenpositioned near the upper end of the guideway 6) and by this engagementbecomes effective to drag carriage 5 (then standing at the left-handside of its range'of reciprocation) from left to right, until itoccupies at the right-hand side of the machine precisely the positioncorresponding to that shown in Fig. 2. In'this. travel of the carriagethe deflector 3 which it bears has traversed the advancing stream ofcoal, a-b, from side to side, andturned aside the intended portion ofthe stream. As weight 9 and ball 14 descend together and approach thelower end of the guideway, the ball comes opposite orifice 37, slipsaside and allows weight 9 to passit; whereupon it swings back to theposition shown on the left, Fig. 2, ,from which position it rises freelywhen the carriage is drawn across its runway to the opposite side. Theweight 9 as it rises and approaches the upper end of the guidewayengages the ball again. But here the ball slips aside through theopening.38, allowing the weight to rise above it, whereupon it swingsback beneath the weight, and is in position to be engaged by the weightand carried down with the weight in its next descent. 1

It will be observed that the rapidity of traverse of carriage 5 with itsdeflector 3 is dependent on the size of Weight 9; and that the periodbetween successive movements of the carriage or the frequency ofreciprocation is dependent on the speed at which shaft 8 rotates. As hasbeen said, the clutch 25 may be shifted to one or the other of itsalternate positions to effect refor moving said deflector, and meansoper{ ated by the movement of said deflector for reversing the movementof said deflector moving means.

2. In a coal-sampling machine the combination with means for causing abody of coal to progress in a stream, a carriage mounted to travel toand fro adjacent to and in a direction transverse to the line of flow ofsuch stream, a deflector borne by said carriage and in the range ofcarriage movement extending into the line of flow of the stream, andmeans for imparting to said carriage a to and fro travel, such meansincluding a shaft rotating in one direction, two spools loosely mountedon said shaft, two carriage-impelling weights suspended one from each ofsaid spools, and a clutch mechanism engaging in alternation the twospools, such mechanism being shifted by the said weights in theirmovement.

3. In a coal-sampling machine a deflector, means for causing saiddeflector to pass transversely through a body of coal at successivepoints in its length and a separator including a double conical memberarranged in the line of flow of coal .delivered from said deflector,said double conical member having adjustable radially arranged intakeslots in one cone and a discharge openingin the apex of the other cone.

4. In a coal-sampling machine, a separator arranged in the line ofadvance of coal including a vertically arranged double conical memberwith upper radially arranged intake slots and a lower apically arrangeddischarge and a funnel shaped feed member arranged above said doubleconical member.

5. In a coal-sampling machine the combinationof a carriage mounted totravel to tion first one of said weights and thenthe other, andoperative connections between said weights and said carriage to give theto and fro movement to the carriage,

6. In a coal-sampling machine a carriage runway extending from sidetoside and adjacent a pathway in which a body of coal advances, acarriage movable to and fro upon said runway, a deflector borne by saidcarriage and extending within the range of carriage movement into saidpathway for coal, a pair of vertically extending guideways, a weightmovable in each of said guideways, and a traction member extending fromsaid carriage into each of said guideways, each of said weights in itsdescent in its guideway engaging such traction member and through suchengagement efiecting movement of said carriage on its runway.

7. In .a coal-sampling machine a carriage movable on a runway to and froacross and adjacent a path of travel of a body of coal, a deflectorborne by said carriage and extending into said path of travel, a pair ofvertically arranged guideways, a weight in each of said'guideways, ashaft, a pair of drums mounted on said shaft, a clutch mechanismalternately securing one of said drums and then the other to rotate inunison with said shaft, suspending members securing said weights to saiddrums, means for shifting said clutch mechanism on the rise of one ofsaid weights in its guideway, a traction member extending'from saidcarriage into each of said guideways, such traction members beingengaged by and carried along with the said weights as they severallydescend each in its guideway, whereby the further descent of the weighteffects the movement of the carriage.

8. In a coal-sampling machine, a carriage runway extending from side toside and ad jacent a pathway in which a body of coal advances. acarriage movable to and fro upon said runway, a deflector borne by saidcarriage and extending within the range of carriage movement into thepathway for the coal, a pair of vertically arranged guideways, blockshung one in each of said guideinseam limit of normal movement andreleasing them when so elevated to the action of gravity, and provisionfor the passage of said weights individually from a position beneath toa position above one of said blocks, or the reverse, as the weights intheir movement pass beyond the range of block movement.

9. In a coal-sampling machine, a carriage runway extending from side toside and adjacent a pathway in which a body of coal advances, a carriagemovable to and fro upon said runway, a deflector borne by said carriageand in the range of carriage movement extendin into the pathway for thecoal, a pair 0 vertically arranged guideways, blocks hung from saidcarriage one in each of said guideways and movable in said guideways upand down in alternation in unison with to-and-fro movement of saidcarriage on its said runway, a pair of weights suspended one in each ofsaid guideways, means for raising the said weights in alternation topoints in said guideways higher than the upper range of movement of thesaid blocks therein and for releasing said weights when so raised, meansfor limiting the fall of said Weights when so elevated. and released,such limiting means affording a range of movement for said weights topoints in said guideways lower than the lower range of block movement,and provision for the passage of said weights individually from aposition beneath to a position above one of said blocks, or the reverse,as the weights in their movement pass beyond the range of blockmovement. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS LAZELL BEEKEN. Witnesses:

A. D. BEEKEN, Jr., G. G. KELCEY.

